If you grew up believing that cardio was the key to weight loss, you are most certainly not alone. For most of us now in midlife, we were taught that more running, more cycling, and more sweating automatically meant better results. If we weren’t drenched in sweat and scraping our bodies up off the floor, we didn’t have an effective workout.
But here’s the thing: somewhere along the way (usually in midlife), that strategy failed to work the way it used to. The scale stalled, or worse yet, it went up, our energy dipped, and workouts that once left us feeling empowered now leave us feeling exhausted and frustrated.
And then maybe you’ve started to see more information about strength training, and you’ve considered it, but wouldn’t that make you bulky? You know something needs to change since the “do more cardio” approach is no longer working, but you need more information.
Let’s break it down honestly: strength training vs cardio in midlife - what’s the difference, why it matters, and how to approach each in a way that supports your body now and in the future.
Why Exercise Needs Change in Midlife
The truth is, midlife brings real changes that can affect how we respond to exercise. For starters, there’s a natural loss in muscle mass as we age (which is accelerated after 40). Our hormones begin to make some major shifts that impact our metabolism, recovery, and where we store fat (hello, belly fat). Stress and sleep behaviors start to play a much bigger role in how our bodies respond to workouts.
For these reasons, the approach of always doing more (usually cardio) often leads to frustration and resignation instead of progress and confidence. When you’re in midlife, training smarter matters far more than training harder.
Strength Training: The Non-Negotiable in Midlife
If there’s one type of exercise that I firmly believe every midlife woman needs, it’s strength training. Why? Because it helps us:
- Build and preserve lean muscle tissue
- Support a healthy, high-functioning metabolism
- Improve insulin sensitivity
- Strengthen our bones and joints
- Improve posture, balance, and long-term mobility
Muscle is a highly metabolically active tissue, which means that the more muscle you have on your frame, the more efficiently your body uses energy, even at rest. As we enter midlife and our metabolism naturally slows, it’s vital that we combat it by building and preserving as much muscle as possible to keep our metabolism humming.
Plus, strength training has the ability to help reshape your body in a way that cardio cannot. Building muscle creates shape and “tone,” which is the physique goal of most women, even in midlife. But if you’re worried that you’ll get too “bulky,” don’t be - it takes a ton of time and dedication for women to build sizeable muscle, especially since we don’t have high amounts of testosterone to support it. That said, the decision to start a strength training routine should be far less motivated by aesthetics and far more motivated by a desire to feel strong, capable, and confident in your body as you age.
For most women in midlife, 3-4 strength training workouts per week is the sweet spot.
Cardio: Still Important, Just Not the Star of the Show
Ok, so now that you know the benefits of strength training through midlife, that doesn’t mean cardio should be totally eradicated from your routine; it just shouldn’t be the star of the show. Cardio is wonderful for your heart health, endurance and stamina, stress relief and mood, and daily movement and calorie burn.
The issue isn’t cardio; it’s our tendency to over-rely on cardio, particularly high-intensity cardio, as we age, which can start to take a toll on our bodies. We get stuck in the old thought process that cardio = weight loss, so the more weight we want to lose, the more cardio we should be doing. Some common midlife mistakes I see women making include:
- Doing too much HIIT without proper recovery.
- Using cardio to “earn” or “burn off” food.
- Ignoring strength training altogether because they’re nervous to start and/or don’t want to get “bulky.”
A better, more sustainable, and effective approach to weight loss or weight maintenance in midlife is prioritizing lower-intensity cardio like walking, incline treadmill sessions, low-intensity cycling, or hiking. These forms of cardio support your health without adding unnecessary stress to your body.
Strength Training vs Cardio: What’s the Real Difference?
Here’s a simple way to think about strength training vs. cardio in midlife:
Strength training builds muscle, supports metabolism, drives long-term body composition changes, and protects your aging body from things like osteoporosis.
Cardio burns calories in the moment, supports your heart health, and helps with stress management.
If you have a fat loss and/or body recomposition goal, strength training should be your foundation, with cardio being a supplement, not the main focus. This is truly the best, most effective, and most sustainable approach for weight loss and overall health for women in midlife.
How to Balance Strength and Cardio in Midlife: Real Life Application
A realistic, sustainable weekly framework looks something like this:
- 3–4 strength training workouts (either body-part specific workouts or full body workouts)
- 2–4 cardio sessions, mostly walking or low-intensity movement
There’s absolutely no need for your approach to be strict or rigid - some weeks you’ll do more, some weeks you’ll do less. And that’s ok and to be expected! Consistency over time is what will always matter the most. Listening to your energy levels, recovery, and stress is going to be key as well. Pushing through exhaustion or soreness is not going to lead to better results; it’ll lead to burnout and potentially injury.
What This Looks Like Inside the Simply Strong App
The Simply Strong App was built to support the needs of midlife women, with strength training taking center stage. Simply Strong workouts are:
- Strength-focused
- Time-efficient (20-45 minutes each)
- Designed to be done from home with minimal equipment (no fancy equipment or gym membership required)
- Easy to adjust based on your ability, energy, and needs
- Focused on progressive overload so you can track, feel, and see your progress over time.
Weekly cardio is encouraged, supported, and woven into your weekly routine. The goal inside the Simply Strong App is never to exhaust you; it’s to help you build strength, confidence, and consistency in a way that fits your real life.
To Recap: Here Are Some Common Myths to Let Go Of
Just so we’re clear on the takeaways from this article, here are a few myths, busted:
- “Cardio is the best way to lose fat.” → Muscle-building is the real long-term driver of fat loss.
- “Lifting weights will make me bulky.” → Building muscle in midlife supports a lean, strong look, not bulk.
- “More workouts = better results.” → Better recovery and smarter training lead to better results.
Ready to Change Your Approach and Train for the Long Game?
Fitness in midlife isn’t about punishment, extremes, or chasing calorie burn - it’s about building a body that feels strong, capable, and efficient for years to come. You don’t need to do more to get results; that method doesn’t work any longer. You need to do what works for your body now, at this stage of life.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and spinning your wheels when it comes to your fitness plan and start training in a way that supports your strength, energy, and confidence, the Simply Strong App is here to help, and I would love to support you.
